


rockabye baby

by jenuyu



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Babysitter Jeno, Fluff, Kid Fic, M/M, Single Dad Jaemin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-23
Updated: 2019-04-23
Packaged: 2020-01-23 14:46:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18551917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jenuyu/pseuds/jenuyu
Summary: Jeno’s in between jobs and needs some quick cash.Enter Jaemin Na, a single father with a three-year-old and more money than he knows what to do with. Turns out that he needs a babysitter, and Jeno’s not one to look a gift horse in the mouth. Oh, and has anyone mentioned that he’s single?





	rockabye baby

**Author's Note:**

> when the wind blows, the cradle will [rock](https://twitter.com/yaori94/status/1129409691761557504)

Brunch is Jeno’s favorite time of day. There’s nothing better than breakfast food elegantly disguised as something that’s acceptable to eat right before noon, except maybe getting to eat brunch _and_ having the meal paid for.

Case in point:

“You should really find a job so I don’t have to keep paying for you whenever we go out,” Mark says, tilting his head to the side. There’s an Apple Watch fastened around his wrist, and Jeno narrows his eyes at it. The symbol of unfettered capitalism, and it’s even worse that Mark doesn’t even know how to use it: a timepiece that costs more than what some people make in a week, and the only thing Mark does with it is use it to tell time.

“I never asked you to pay for me,” Jeno says, sulking just a little bit. The sprig of mint in his mimosa looks as downtrodden as he feels right now, which is just great— he relates on a spiritual level to a dead plant. “You offered.”

“I did,” Mark agrees. “But we both know it’s because no one’s called you back about a part-time opening yet.”

“At least I’m looking!” Jeno leans back in his chair and crosses his arms over his chest. Mark just gives him a disbelieving glance before he returns to his roasted potatoes, which is totally rude and uncalled for.

Contrary to public belief, Jeno _isn’t_ jobless. He’s waiting for residency to start in two months, and he’s just had a spot of bad luck trying to find something to do that’s both close enough to where he currently lives that he doesn’t need to move and pays enough that his parents will stop asking if he’s going to starve to death before he even becomes a real doctor.

“Besides,” Jeno mutters, “I don’t really wanna leave the area just for two months, you know how it is finding places here.”

Mark hums. “That’s true, it might be hard to find a place that’ll take Blossom and Bubbles, right?”

“Well, yeah. That and I don’t really want to sublet in buttfuck-middle-of-nowhere when I’m already paying out of my ass here.”

They both sigh, and Mark leans back. “Actually, if you’re bored and want to just make some quick cash, I know someone who needs a babysitter for his daughter. And you’re good with kids, so you might as well put your baby fever to good use.”

“A babysitter? Seriously?”

“No offense, but you’ve been sitting at home for the last six days doing literally nothing. Get a job, Jeno.”

“Fine, _mom_. You said it’s just one kid? How old is she?”

“Three, I think? She’s really cute. Here, give me your phone, I’ll give you his contact info and you guys can set something up. Besides, I already told him you’d be down, so text him when you can, okay?”

Mark taps a number and a name into Jeno’s phone, and when he takes it back, the name is blinking up on the screen: _Jaemin Na_ , and under that, the note for the contact says _SEXY AND SINGLE DAD WITH A SUPER CUTE KID I’M DOING THIS FOR YOU!!_ Jeno’s head jerks up so hard he very nearly gets whiplash, and Mark gives him the most exaggerated wink ever.

“Are you _setting me up_?” Jeno hisses, and okay, maybe he’s been single for forever, but rotations kicked his ass to hell and back. It’s really not his fault he’s not at his most attractive when he’s running on four hours of sleep and waking up at five for rounds.

Mark shrugs. “Dude, I’m just saying. He’s a single guy with a cute kid, make of that what you will.” But there’s a smile on Mark’s face when he picks up the check, and Jeno makes a half-hearted attempt at fighting him for the bill, but his bank account really can’t take the hit, especially not for _brunch_. “Text him today!” Mark calls out after him when he leaves, and Jeno gives him a single-fingered salute.

Jeno only goes to his contacts once he’s on the bus home.

 _Jaemin Na_.

Jeno swallows, trying to think of what the hell to say before he decides with _teenager looking for his first job_. Not ideal, but it’s all he’s got right now.

 

 

 

 **To: Jaemin Na  
** **From: Jeno Lee**  
Hey, this is Jeno Lee, Mark’s friend. He said you needed a babysitter? I’m pretty free most days and nights if you ever need anyone to look after your daughter.  
Let me know!

 

 **To: Jeno Lee  
** **From: Jaemin Na**  
Oh, wow, hi, I didn’t think Mark would find anyone that quickly, haha. Could you come by later this afternoon around three if you’re not busy so we can chat?  
I know it’s Saturday, so if you already have plans, we can schedule for another time

 

 **To: Jaemin Na  
** **From: Jeno Lee**  
No tonight is totally fine! Just let me know where you want to meet up and I’m down

 

 **To: Jeno Lee  
** **From: Jaemin Na**  
Sure thing, I’ll text you my address. Just ring for me when you’re here and I’ll buzz you in :)

 

 

 

The apartment that Jeno stops in front of is a brownstone in a pretty nice area of the city, and there’s a keypad by the door. He punches in the numbers next to the name _Na, Jaemin_ on the display, and the voice that comes through the speaker is tinny.

“Hello?”

“It’s me.” Fuck, his voice came out weird. Jeno clears his throat and tries again. “It’s Jeno.”

“Oh, hey! Come on up. I’m in 308, feel free to take the elevator if you want, it’s on the right side of the lobby.” The line goes dead, and he’s buzzed in. Jeno makes his way to the apartment at the very end of the third floor, and before he can knock, the door swings open. Jeno doesn’t even have time to properly comprehend the situation before he has the startling realization that _damn, Mark was right_.

Standing in front of him is quite possibly one of the hottest guys he’s seen in recent memory, his hair windswept and his button-up popped open just enough to reveal tanned skin. It’s been a long time since Jeno’s been around people who haven’t been working thirty-two-hour shifts, and it shows. He holds out his hand, and Jeno may or may not be actually sweating. He manages to override enough of his natural instincts to say something absolutely embarrassing, instead taking the hand and shaking. Jeno pulls away after exactly three seconds. Nailed it.

“Hey, I’m Jaemin. Good to meet you.”

“Jeno, likewise. This is a nice place you’ve got here.” He steps inside and toes off his shoes at the door, noticing how Jaemin has slippers with cartoon bear print on.

Jaemin laughs and runs a hand through his hair, slouching down onto the couch. “Yeah? It’s kinda messy, though, I’m not sure if you’re just kidding or trying to butter me up.”

The floor is strewn with toys, a tripping hazard for pretty much everyone in the room, and Jeno’s sure that Jaemin saw him subtly nudging a stuffed animal closer to the wall with his socked foot just now. Other than that, it really _is_ a nice place, with big windows that let in the sun and a kitchen that looks like it gets constant use. But still, tripping hazard.

“Well, I’m not gonna lie, so: both,” Jeno says easily, and thank god, Jaemin laughs again.

“You wanna take a seat?” Jaemin pats the cushion next to him, and Jeno gingerly sits. “So, Jeno. How’d you meet Mark?”

Jeno blinks. On the list of the hardest interview questions he’s ever encountered, this one doesn’t even rank. But is it one of the answers he’s the most reluctant to give? Yes. “Uh, we met at a professional development event in college.”

Jaemin’s smile turns sly, knowing. “So, a frat thing?”

“I was only in it for, like, one semester,” Jeno says, caught. He’s usually loath to think about how he’d met Mark at a conference for members of their frat from all the schools in the area, but he ended up finding a lifelong friend in the guy who offered to drive his drunk ass home after the party they had on the last night there. “Rushed and dropped it as soon as I could.”

“Hey, no judgment. You’re looking at the undisputed beer pong champion of my own frat for two years running,” Jaemin preens, like it’s something to be proud of, but then his smile softens around the edges. “I’m just kidding, Mark said you were a really good guy. You didn’t go to school with Mark and me then, did you?”

“Nah, if I told you where I went, you probably wouldn’t let me be your babysitter,” Jeno says, and he can see the exact moment Jaemin realizes that they went to sworn rival schools.

“Get out,” Jaemin says, pointing to the door, and Jeno makes a show of getting up and making to leave before Jaemin waves him back. “So, do you know Donghyuck?”

“I don’t know him too well, but yeah, I’ve met him a few times. Last time I saw him was at their wedding?”

Jaemin rolls his eyes skyward. “God, if _that_ was the last memory you have of Donghyuck Lee, then that’s about fifty times better than the one I have. Think having to pick his and Mark’s drunk asses from a bar because they thought the other would be the designated driver. And then guess who decided to yak all over my new upholstery?”

Jeno covers his laugh with a hand. “Jesus. I’m so sorry for your loss.”

“I know,” Jaemin says dramatically. “Whatever, I made Donghyuck pay for the repairs and for getting that shitty smell out of my car. Don’t I deserve better friends than them? Who needs them?”

“You’re right,” Jeno agrees. “Better a sworn enemy than a married couple, yeah?”

“Always. So, getting down to business. I’m Jaemin, I’m twenty-six, I work in finance, and I have a daughter. Her name’s Jieun, and she’s turning four this year. I asked my friends if they knew anyone who was good with kids because my parents are going on vacation and they can’t take care of Jieun all the time anymore.” Jaemin turns to Jeno then, his chin in his hand, and he studies Jeno’s face intently. He’s intense, for lack of a better word, and Jeno almost starts sweating because of how long it feels like Jaemin’s been staring at him. “You seem nice and all, and you know Mark, the biggest square ever, but I have to ask. What previous experience have you had working with children?”

“My sister has a son, and I used to babysit him a lot. I also used to work part-time at a daycare when I was in undergrad, so I had to deal with a _lot_ of cranky kids.” Jeno pauses, thinking about if his actual job is worth mentioning, but he decides it can’t hurt. “I’m also starting my pediatric residency in two months, if having an almost-licensed physician babysit your daughter will help.”

“Wait, seriously?” Jaemin asks, and when Jeno nods and fishes for his hospital ID card with his medical student designation from his bag, his entire countenance changes. “What the hell, why are you babysitting then? Shouldn’t you be, like, enjoying your life? Or something?”

“Um. I don’t really have a lot I wanna do, so on my first few days off I just finished some of the games I’d been meaning to get through, and I basically spent the rest of my time sleeping.” Jeno pockets his ID again, and when he looks up, there’s a smile on Jaemin’s face. “Uh, Mark can vouch for me. We did some volunteer stuff together. I’m basically at home all the time, so I can help you out with Jieun whenever. Just give me a call?”

“Sure. When can you start?”

Jeno blinks. “Whenever you want, I guess?”

“How does tonight sound?”

“ _Tonight_?”

“Yeah, I kind of have a date tonight and I forgot to hire someone.” Jaemin laughs, sheepish. “I’ll pay whatever you want since it’s so last minute, but if you could just come by around six and watch her for a few hours, you’d be such a lifesaver.”

Jeno’s brain is spinning. Isn’t this moving too fast? But how is he supposed to say no to the prospect of easy money doing something he loves?

“Sure,” comes out of his mouth before he’s even properly comprehended that he’s supposed to be back here in just two and a half hours, and Jaemin beams at him before he leans forward to clasp Jeno’s hands in his.

“You’re _such_ a lifesaver,” Jaemin crows, and in that moment, Jeno can almost believe it.

 

 

 

Jeno swings by at six, just as Jaemin requested. He’s freshly showered, and in his bag is everything he needs to calm a three-year-old down. He’s learned from experience, wrangling toddlers and preteens alike in the hospital he rotated at for his shifts on pediatrics, and he’s ready for his first real babysitting job. He takes a breath, steeling himself for whatever scene awaits him, and before he can knock, the door swings open.

“Hey,” Jaemin says, leaning against the doorframe. He’s in a fitted leather jacket with a nice shirt underneath, and are those skinnies he’s wearing? Jeno feels suddenly so, so underdressed in his sweater and dad jeans. “We’ve been expecting you.”

“Daddy,” a small voice says. “My babysitter’s a boy?”

Jeno looks down at the voice, and a little girl’s hugging one of Jaemin’s legs and staring up at him. Jeno’s seen his fair share of objectively cute kids, and this one ranks in the Top Ten Cutest Kids he’s ever seen. She has big sparkling eyes with a button nose and fluffy cheeks, and Jeno can feel his heart already start to expand to five times its usual size when he notices that she’s wearing an oversized shirt that looks like a dress on her with leggings with polka dots on them underneath. Her hair’s tied up in messy pigtails, a red bow on one side and a pink one on the other, and there’s a dollop of some sauce smeared across her cheek. Jeno loves her already.

“I told you already,” Jaemin sighs, and he backs up into his apartment again, ushering Jeno inside with him. “Yes. Babysitters can be boys, so why don’t you come up and say hi to him? Tell him what your name is and then ask him for his.”

Jeno can tell that Jaemin’s about to lift her up to be eye level with him, so he decides to spare him the trouble and kneels down instead. She looks momentarily taken aback at the sudden attention, and he smiles, trying to make her feel more at ease.

“Hey, I’m Jeno,” he says, and she starts picking at her lip, only one hand still clutching to Jaemin’s pants. “What’s your name?”

“I’m Jieun,” she chirps before she adds, like it’s an afterthought, “I’m three.” She puts up two fingers, then three. “I’m turning four in December!” Four fingers now. Ugh. She is _so_ cute.

“Hi, Jieun,” Jeno says seriously. “Do you want to guess how old I am compared to you?”

Jieun frowns at him before she takes a step forward. Her hands find their way to his face, clamping onto his cheeks, and he’s forced to stare into her eyes. His thighs are starting to burn from kneeling for so long, but he endures it all the same, letting her pat his cheeks before she makes a decision.

“Eighteen,” Jieun says in a decisive tone. “Jeno, you’re eighteen.”

“What? No way.” Jaemin’s voice is incredulous. “How can Jeno be eighteen? He’s your babysitter, Jieun. He’s going to watch you while daddy goes to meet a friend tonight. He can’t be eighteen.”

“Of course he can be eighteen,” Jieun scoffs, turning around and looking up to face her dad. She drops her hands from Jeno’s cheeks to plant them on her hips. “He’s my babysitter, babysitters can’t be older than eighteen. Everybody says so!”

“If you want me to be eighteen, I’ll be eighteen,” Jeno says, and he grins at her. “Don’t listen to him, he’s just old and crotchety.”

“What does crotchety mean?”

“It means your daddy’s old. Unlike us, of course. We’ll be young forever.”

“Hey!” Jaemin butts in, affronted, and Jeno doesn’t know him enough to read him by just his tone, but when he looks up, Jaemin is smiling. That’s a go, then. Introductions complete, Jeno stands up again to go where Jaemin is heading.

Jaemin goes to the door, counting off on his fingers. “I’ll be home in a few hours, it’s just dinner and drinks afterwards. There’s dinner for Jieun in the fridge, and you can watch some movies with her if you want, but she’s already been showered and changed for bed. You just have to get her into bed by nine, and I should be back soon after. You already have my number, let me know if anything happens.”

“Got it.”

“And you,” Jaemin pats Jieun’s head. “Hey, be nice to him, okay? No running around and being totally crazy. Let Jeno know if anything feels weird or if you have tummy aches, he’s a doctor.”

“Almost,” Jeno protests. “I haven’t even finished residency, I’m not really a doctor yet.”

Jaemin waves him off. “Residency, schmesidency. You’re probably five billion times more qualified to take care of her than all of the other people I found online, anyway.”

“Oh, really?” Jeno’s lips quirk into a grin.

“Yeah, for starters, no one else has an MD like you. No one else has also been personally vetted by Mark as being the most likely to volunteer to be someone else’s surrogate.”

Jeno winces. “God, he told you that?”

“And more,” Jaemin says sagely. “Well, I’d better be heading out now. I’ll see you tonight, yeah? Call me if anything is seriously wrong, but if it’s something like ‘what temperature does Jieun like the thermostat set to’ you can just text me. Or go with your gut, that’s probably the better option.”

Jaemin dislodges Jieun from his leg, and he kneels down to give her a kiss on her forehead. “I’ll be home before you know it, okay? Listen to Jeno and go to sleep when he tells you to. Got it?”

She nods, and he gives her a smooch again before standing up and heading to the door. There’s a jaunty grin on his lips when he turns back and waves. “See ya, Jeno.”

As soon as the door locks behind them, Jieun turns to Jeno and says, with her eyes wide, “Can I have some ice cream?”

“Does your daddy let you have ice cream before dinner?”

Jieun chews on her lip, her eyes roving from side to side. When she finally speaks up, it’s to say, shiftily, “Sometimes.”

That’s a no. Jieun looks up at him with large and pleading eyes, and Jeno has to put his foot down. There’ll be no untimely consumption of desserts before dinner if he has any say in it. “That doesn’t sound like your daddy lets you eat ice cream before you eat your real food, kiddo,” Jeno says. “Why don’t we eat dinner before we get some ice cream?”

Jieun pouts before she bounces forward to take Jeno’s hand in hers. “Lemme show you around first! Daddy says it’s good to show people our house when they’ve never been here before!”

She waves at the room they’re in right now. “This is the living room, this is where all of my toys are. Daddy also sits here sometimes when he’s watching stuff. Okay, next one!”

“Here’s the kitchen,” Jieun explains, poking her head briefly into it and giving Jeno enough time to take it in before she drags him to a room at the end of the hallway. The door is closed, but Jieun pushes it open anyway, letting Jeno see the organized chaos within. There are piles of clothes in hampers lying around, but at least they’re sorted by color. “This is daddy’s room. My room is prettier.”

“And now! The bestest room!” Jieun shuts the door and shows Jeno to the last room. There are stickers pasted all over the door, and she lets Jeno in. The walls are painted a light pink, and it’s significantly messier than Jaemin’s own room was, her stuffed animals and toys strewn all over the ground. “This is where I sleep. My room and all of my friends are here!”

She immediately gets on the floor, showing Jeno her plushes, and he lets her ramble on for about five minutes before he stops her. “Alrighty, Jieun, how about we go eat dinner now?”

“No, I wanna play!”

“How about we go eat dinner now and then we play later?” Fantastic, Jeno thinks. She’s already forgotten about the ice cream. Everything is easy after that, since all he needs to do is to heat up the food Jaemin’s left in the fridge and sit down with her at the table so she’ll eat. She rambles at him the entire time, telling him about her day at her grandparents’ house and the dog that she saw on her way back.

“But I like cats more, Jeno,” Jieun says around a mouthful of kimchi fried rice, and Jeno’s heart leaps. A kindred spirit, finally. He fishes out his phone, unlocking it and showing her his photos.

“Jieun, look. These are my cats.”

She leans so close that she almost presses her nose against the screen. “Kitties! What are their names?”

“The white and black one is named Bubbles because she has little dots on her butt, and the one that has orange and black spots on her is named Blossom because one of the spots looks like a flower. They’re super nice and super cute.”

“Wow, do they play with you too?” When Jeno nods, she pouts. “Daddy doesn’t let me have one, even though I asked him a million times.”

“If you want, you can come over to my house and play with them if your daddy ever lets you. They’re going to love you a lot.”

Jieun’s eyes are shining. “ _Really_? I’ll ask daddy.”

“You go do that, okay?” On second thought, Jieun coming over might not be the best idea. He lives in a studio, after all, the only thing he could afford in the city on his meager stipend. But he’ll think about that later: for now, Jieun’s already eaten and showered and dressed for bed. Jeno looks at the clock. Only an hour and a half has passed, and there’s still a lot of time until Jaemin comes home. “Do you wanna watch a movie?”

“What movie?”

“Whatever you want.”

“Do you have Tangled?” Jieun draws patterns on her plate with the rest of the sauce, staring up at Jeno. “I like Tangled a lot. Daddy says he doesn’t want to watch it with me again because I watch it too many times, but I think he just got bored of it. Do you wanna watch it with me?”

“Yeah, let me wash the dishes first, and then I’ll watch Tangled with you. Why don’t you go play on your own for a little bit and I’ll come find you later, okay?”

“Okay! Promise?” Jieun links her pinky with Jeno’s before she hops off of her chair, heading over to the living room to play with the toys he’d seen earlier. Jeno cleans up fast, washing all of the dishes they’d used before setting them out to dry. He’s on the couch in a flash, pulling his laptop out of his bag and finding a streaming site for Tangled. It’s an old movie, but Jeno finds it easily.

Jieun leans against his arm as he starts it, curling her hand around his elbow. He wonders if she’s always this loving, this cheerful.

He wonders if she learned it from her dad.

That’s how Jaemin finds them two hours later. Jieun’s asleep against his arm, and Jeno’s just been browsing the news and catching up with friends. She’s warm against his side, and he’s almost loath to give her up, but when Jaemin comes back in through the door, his clothes rumpled and a flush high in his cheeks, Jeno instantly shifts so that Jaemin can take her back. Jaemin leans over the couch, and when he’s that close, Jeno can smell the cologne he sprayed on beforehand.

“My baby,” he coos softly at her, bundling her sleeping frame up in his arms. She whines, curls into her father’s chest. Jaemin looks down at Jeno then, turning his alert gaze onto him as he pats Jieun’s back. “She didn’t give you any trouble?”

“No, she was. She was really great. Thanks for trusting me with her today, she’s a good kid.” Jeno reaches forward to brush some hair from her face. “You don’t have to pay me for tonight, just consider it a favor between friends.”

Jaemin scoffs. “I’ll just slip you cash when you’re not looking, just let me pay you for taking care of this demon called Jieun. She didn’t manage to convince you to give her ice cream before dinner, did she?”

“Nah, she tried telling me that you let her have dessert before dinner sometimes, but she really needs to work on her poker face if she wants her ice cream.” Jaemin’s smiling, fond, at his daughter while Jeno recounts the incident, and Jeno realizes that maybe he shouldn’t be here anymore. “I’ll head out now. Thanks, Jaemin.”

“Wait,” Jaemin says abruptly, and Jeno stops in his tracks and turns. “Do you think you could help me out this week? You’d just need to pick her up from daycare while I’m at work and watch her until I get home. I promise it’ll only be a few hours each day.”

“Yeah, sure,” Jeno says. “It’s no problem at all.”

“Great.” Jaemin’s face looks brighter now, and Jeno can’t tell if it’s the lingering alcohol in his system or if it’s the added babysitting help he has now. “I’ll text you later with more details?”

“Of course. Goodnight, Jaemin.”

“Goodnight, Jeno.”

 

 

 

“So,” Renjun says delicately over coffee the next day. “Who’s the new guy?”

Jeno splutters, nearly choking on his mocha. It takes a few coughs to dislodge the lump in his throat, and he stares up at Renjun with narrowed eyes.

“What new guy?”

“Well, you’re currently mooching off of my Netflix account, so I can see that you watched Tangled twice last night. You’d never watch Tangled of your own volition, and the only other scenario I can think of involving you watching Tangled is that you’re hooking up with a guy who has a daughter and you had to entertain her last night.” Renjun arches an eyebrow. “Am I right or am I right?”

Jeno stares at Renjun, dread seeping into his bones. “How the fuck did you do that?” He whispers, hushed. “I mean, you’re not a hundred percent right, but what the fuck? Are you a wizard? First you’re going to be a bone wizard and now you’re an actual wizard?”

“No, dumbass, some guy named Jaemin Na tagged you in a post thanking you for taking care of his daughter.”

“Oh.” Jeno takes out his phone and swipes through his notifications. Renjun’s right. _Had a blast with @jiin96 last night ♡ Thanks @jenoolee for watching Jieun! :)_ the post reads, and Jeno looks up at Renjun in alarm. “How’d you see this?”

“It was in my suggested posts. I’ll be billing you for the emotional trauma of knowing that you _hooked up with a guy with a daughter_ ,” Renjun hisses. “You golddigger.”

“I’m not a golddigger,” Jeno hisses back. “I haven’t even slept with him. He’s my goddamn employer. I’m like, the opposite of a golddigger. I’m a gold burier.”

“Wow, really? Why not?”

“Obviously, he went on a date with a woman. Odds aren’t looking great for me, man.”

“Oh, true.” Renjun pillows his chin on his hands. “But, uh, newsflash: bisexuals exist, Jeno.”

“No signs point towards Jaemin being into me, Renjun, I’m just a glorified pooper scooper. A baby feeder. A portable laptop stand to watch Tangled on.” Jeno sighs. “Anyway, I didn’t really expect anything from this. Quick cash, right?”

Renjun snorts, darting a quick glance at the other patrons before he opens his mouth again. “You should never do anything for the money, Jeno. Just think about it, not only could you get some quick cash, you could get some dick.”

“Says the guy who’s going into ortho,” Jeno sneers, and Renjun only rolls his eyes at him.

“I’m just saying, when was the last time you saw someone thank his _babysitter_ on a post that was supposed to be for commemorating a night out with a date? He’s totally into you.”

Renjun has a point there. Jeno doesn’t know much about being a dad, much less a single one, but he’s willing to bet that not a lot of single dads tag their babysitters like that. Maybe he _does_ have a shot. But that thought is both terrifying and intoxicating to think about, especially when he hasn’t dated anyone in a while. Diving right back in, especially with a man who has a daughter, is too much to think about.

So he clears his throat and leans in and banishes all thoughts of Jaemin from last night with his shirt untucked and his eyes bright and says to Renjun, “So, how’s it going with Lucas?”

“Xuxi’s great, thanks, he just got a job at a preschool an hour away from here. He loves it,” Renjun says easily. “Are you just trying to distract me so you don’t have to deal with confronting your feelings?”

Jeno shifts in his seat. “Is it working?”

“No.”

“Dammit,” Jeno mutters. “And I tried so hard, too.”

“You really didn’t. Anyway, I think you might actually have a shot with him, come on. How’d you meet?”

“Uh, do you know my friend Mark? Met him in undergrad at a conference our frat chapters did together, yadda yadda yadda. Anyway, it turns out that Mark has a friend in the area who needs some babysitting help, and he volunteered me for it. He also put _this_ in the contact note.” Jeno takes his phone out and shows Renjun what Mark typed underneath Jaemin’s name. _SEXY AND SINGLE DAD WITH A SUPER CUTE KID I’M DOING THIS FOR YOU!!_ is still there, and Renjun’s eyebrows go up to his hairline when he sees it.

“Wow, he’s totally setting you up, you dumbass. If Mark’s the one who introduced you, he probably already knows that Jaemin would be into you.” Renjun swirls some sugar into his drink. “Case closed, easy. Mark wants the two of you to get it on, and god knows med school didn’t help you get any. Go get some of that dick. I believe in you.”

“I never want to hear you say that ever again,” Jeno says pleasantly. “I don’t need to, quote unquote, get some.”

Renjun just downs his coffee. “Whatever helps you sleep at night.”

Unfortunately, it doesn’t. And as Jeno drifts off to yet another unsteady night of sleep, he can’t help but remember the weight of Jieun against his chest and the way he and Jaemin had stood together last night. It felt nice, and he can’t deny that he wants to do it again.

 

 

 

 **To: Jeno Lee  
** **From: Jaemin Na**  
Hey!!

 

 **To: Jaemin Na  
** **From: Jeno Lee**  
Hi!!

 

 **To: Jeno Lee  
** **From: Jaemin Na**  
Do you think you could come over next weekend?  
I scheduled a thing for Saturday and need someone to watch Jieun

 

 **To: Jaemin Na  
** **From: Jeno Lee**  
Oh sure thing  
When?

 

 **To: Jeno Lee  
** **From: Jaemin Na**  
How does 10 sound? If that’s okay with you of course

 

 **To: Jaemin Na  
** **From: Jeno Lee**  
10 is fine with me~ Your place again?

 

 **To: Jeno Lee  
** **From: Jaemin Na**  
Yup, that’s fine! You can take her to the park on a walk if you want to  
She gets antsy at home sometimes

 

 **To: Jaemin Na  
** **From: Jeno Lee**  
Lol “on a walk” … What is she, a puppy?

 

 **To: Jeno Lee  
** **From: Jaemin Na**  
She has this bunny backpack with a leash, the ones that look like giant stuffed animals  
I’ve tried it before! :) No worries

 

 **To: Jaemin Na  
** **From: Jeno Lee**  
No worries, he says……… ok!!

 

 **To: Jeno Lee  
** **From: Jaemin Na**  
Hey what is that supposed to mean!!

 

 

 

Jeno shows up at Jaemin’s place at the designated time, now familiar from all of the times he’s gone there with Jieun after school, and once again, the door swings open without Jeno having to knock. Jeno wonders, idly, if Jaemin has some kind of sixth sense for visitors. Or maybe more practically, some kind of motion sensor. Jieun’s the one at the door today, propping it open with her body.

“Jeno!” Jieun leaps at him, nearly tripping over her own socks in her haste to get to him, and it’s only Jaemin’s hand that reaches out to grab her hoodie that keeps her from falling.

“Careful,” Jaemin admonishes, plopping her back on her feet. “My god, what if Jeno starts thinking you don’t have any manners?”

“I have manners,” she pouts, crossing her arms over her chest, tapping a foot against the floor. “I’m _always_ mannerous.”

“That’s not even a real word, what are they even teaching you in daycare?”

“It is now! Daddy, stop being mean,” Jieun huffs, tugging at Jeno’s jeans and pointing a finger up at her father’s face. “Jeno, daddy’s being mean. Make him stop.”

“Yeah, stop being mean,” Jeno echoes, and when he looks up at Jaemin, a helpless laugh bubbles out of him at the expression on Jaemin’s face. It’s somewhere in between “just struck in the face with a frying pan” and “pirate captain whose sailors are all mutinying” and when Jieun turns to bother her dad some more, she ends up laughing, too.

“Alrighty then,” Jaemin mumbles under his breath, “looks like everyone’s decided it’s a good day to betray me.”

“Yay!” Jieun cheers, clinging onto Jeno’s leg. “Let’s go see some cats, Jeno!”

“She’s already had breakfast, so she’s just about ready for a walk now. Jieun told me something funny the other day, though.”

“What’s that?”

“Apparently, someone’s put it in her brain that I have to get her a cat or she’ll,” and Jaemin makes the most high-pitched screeching noise that’s ostensibly supposed to be a mimic of Jieun’s voice, “totally die, daddy. Do you want me to _die_?”

“I have no idea who told her that, I’ve never heard that before in my entire life,” Jeno says with a completely straight face. “You must be mistaken.”

“Sure,” Jaemin snorts, toeing on some shoes. “Well, you two have fun, okay? Jieun, no stealing anyone’s cats. I’ve told the police to keep an eye out for a little girl with a neon green hoodie and a white skirt. Don’t think I’ve forgotten about you.”

Jieun doesn’t respond, settling for sticking a tongue out at Jaemin as he takes Jeno’s place outside and Jeno steps inside.

“You know the drill,” Jaemin says, this time to Jeno. “Call me if anything happens, and I’ll be back around two.”

“Have fun, Jaemin,” Jeno replies, and when he’s finally gone, Jeno leans down so he can be eye to eye with Jieun. “So. Wanna go to the park and steal some cats?”

Jieun screams.

He’ll take that as a yes.

 

 

 

They do not, unfortunately, end up stealing anyone’s cats. Jieun seems more than a little disappointed when the only people who pass by with pets are holding leashes with dogs attached to them, but as soon as she sees the first couple bike by with their cat in the basket, her mood’s instantly lifted. She makes Jeno pick her up so she can watch the cat as the couple rounds the corner, and she’s reluctant to get back down.

“Jeno,” she whines. “Take me to see the puppies.”

“Okay, kiddo.” It’s a beautiful spring day, when the usual fog that blankets the city hasn’t yet rolled in, when everyone decides that it’s a good time to bring their dogs out for walks, when families bring their children and set up picnic baskets on the grass. It hasn’t escaped Jeno’s notice that Jaemin dressed Jieun with the backpack with the leash attached to it, but Jieun seems comfortable enough in his arms, ordering him around as she wishes.

After fifteen minutes of carrying Jieun around so she can coo at all of the dogs playing in the grass, Jeno’s arms start to get tired— okay, he works out when he has time to, but it’s not like he regularly carries squirming forty-pound sacks during weight training. “Jieun, I’m gonna put you down now, okay?”

“Okay, but hold my hand. Don’t get lost, Jeno.” She clasps her hand firmly around his pinky finger, and Jeno looks down at her with something a lot like fondness. It’s almost as if Jieun sprouted straight from Jaemin, with the way that they’re both so forward and charming. He’s only known them for a few weeks, but he’s already so attached. So he squeezes her small hand in his and slows down his steps to match hers.

“Lead the way, captain,” Jeno says easily, and Jieun’s more than happy to show him.

 

 

 

Jeno has no idea how, but they manage to spend over three hours there, Jieun scrambling around the playground and running with some of the other kids from the neighborhood. Honestly, watching her is already making him tired, and by the time she decides it’s a good idea to play a game of fetch with a group of particularly large Great Danes and German Shepherds, Jeno can already feel his joints aching.

By the time he takes her back home, she’s half-asleep, her chin pillowed on his shoulder as he carries her inside. Jeno’s about to take her inside her room, but he hesitates. He’s not sure if Jaemin’s okay with him going inside, so he sits down on the couch instead and lets Jieun drift off to sleep against him, her soft breaths coming out in puffs against his skin. He strokes her hair, undoing the pigtails Jaemin had put her in before he left, and combing her hair straight with his fingers. She leans into the touch, snuggling closer to him and fisting her hands into his shirt.

She must’ve been tired today.

Jeno gets the backpack off of her with some careful maneuvering, tossing it to the side, and he stares up at the ceiling, his hands idly patting her back. It’s almost two. Jaemin should be home soon.

And then, lulled by the soft sunlight drifting in through the windows, the weight of Jieun and Jaemin’s trust on him, and the feeling of a home that’s been lived in, he falls asleep.

 

 

 

Jeno’s awoken by the sound of shuffling, and he opens his eyes to Jaemin hovering over him with a blanket. Jeno feels suddenly lighter, and he realizes that Jieun’s gone. Jaemin must’ve already come home and picked her up, and Jeno feels an odd and misplaced guilt start to settle in his stomach for not doing his job more properly.

“Where…?”

“I put her to bed. Sometimes she needs an afternoon nap,” Jaemin whispers. He shakes the blanket he’s holding. “Do you want this?”

 _Yes_ is on the tip of his tongue, and Jeno almost voices his thoughts until he remembers several things:

One, Jaemin’s the father of the kid he’s babysitting.

Two, this isn’t his house, or even the house of someone he’s hooking up with.

Three, attracted to Jaemin or not, he doesn’t have much reason to be here longer than he has to, let alone to be falling asleep on couches.

Jeno scrambles so wildly that he almost bangs his head straight into Jaemin’s. Sunlight isn’t filtering in through the windows anymore, and the lights are on. How long was he asleep for?

“It’s almost six,” Jaemin says, answering the question written all over Jeno’s face. He’s still holding the blanket in his hands. “You can stay for dinner if you want. It’s kind of late.”

“I, um.” Can’t keep doing this. Don’t think this is appropriate. Won’t let myself overstep my bounds. “Should probably get going. I don’t want to impose.”

“It’s not a problem at all. I’m sure Jieun would love to have you over.” Jaemin cocks his head to the side. “I was thinking of ordering in, and we never finish whatever we get, anyway. You’d only be helping us get rid of potential leftovers.”

Jeno wants so badly to say yes. But he can’t stop thinking about Jieun and her smile and how he’d hate to have to give that up just because he’s started developing the most inconvenient romantic feelings for her father. “I can’t. Maybe next time?” He adds, just to soften the words, and Jaemin takes it in stride.

“Sure. Let me call you a ride, at least.” Jaemin’s leaning in too close for comfort, so close that his hair nearly brushes against Jeno’s forehead. So close that Jeno could just—

He backs off.

“I can just take the bus, thanks. Goodnight, Jaemin,” Jeno says in a voice that doesn’t give any room for argument, standing and stretching as surreptitiously as he can. Jaemin makes an aborted move, like he wants to reach for Jeno, to keep him there, and he pretends not to notice the way Jaemin’s gaze follows him when he leaves.

 

 

 

 **To: Jeno Lee  
** **From: Jaemin Na**  
Did you get home safe?

 

 **To: Jaemin Na  
** **From: Jeno Lee**  
Yeah, just got back, thanks

 

 **To: Jeno Lee  
** **From: Jaemin Na**  
Good I’m glad. We just had dinner, pad thai and pad see ew from a place I really like  
We have soooo many leftovers  
Oh  
Right  
Jieun says hi

 

 **To: Jaemin Na  
** **From: Jeno Lee**  
Haha sounds tasty  
Hi Jieun!

 

 **To: Jeno Lee  
** **From: Jaemin Na**  
Wait let me just  
Attachment: Voice Note

 

 

 

That night, Jeno lays awake in bed. It’s cold, despite the two blankets he has piled on himself, and he gratefully welcomes the added warmth when Bubbles leaps up onto his bed and curls against his chest. He plays the voice note again, letting the sound of Jieun and Jaemin trying to talk over one another in an effort to talk to _him_ play in his apartment.

“Daddy, stop being mean, I wanna talk to Jeno!”

“If you talk to Jeno, then how am I supposed to talk to Jeno! He and I have grown up people things to talk about!”

“Not fair, daddy, you can talk to him whenever you want! Talk about your old person stuff with him later, let me—”

The sound of scuffling, and then nothing.

Jeno almost misses it when his phone actually rings, and he scrambles to pick it up. _Jaemin Na_ , the screen reads, and Jeno puts him on speaker. “Jaemin?”

“Hey, Jeno?” Jaemin’s voice sounds scratchy. Jeno wonders if he’s in bed, just like Jeno is. What he’s wearing to bed tonight. If he keeps a cup of water on his bedside table. How he sleeps.

“Yeah?”

“Do you wanna—” Jaemin clears his throat. “Do you want to maybe come hang out with me and Jieun next week? I want to take her to the science museum, but she’s started some kind of pre-pre-preteen rebellious stage and refuses to be seen anywhere with me because I’m uncool or something. So I guess that just leaves you as the designated Jieun Handler for the day.”

Jeno can already hear the comments. If Renjun were here, he’d say something like “Dumbass, he wants to put it in. Hashtag Let Jaemin Put It In.” And Mark, always the braggart, would say something like “I told you, he’s into you. I’m the one who introduced you two dumbasses, come on!”

It’s obviously a date, Jeno isn’t stupid enough to miss those cues— what parent would ask the _babysitter_ to come to the museum with them and their child instead of a friend? But if Jaemin’s the one reaching out, if Jeno’s not the one wondering if he’s overstepping, maybe it’ll be okay. It has to be okay.

“Yeah, I’d love to.”

 

 

 

Jeno meets Jaemin at the entrance of the museum, a shiny complex nestled in the middle of a large and sprawling park. Jieun’s sitting on Jaemin’s shoulders, a pair of Ray-Bans that are clearly her father’s perched on top of her nose and a straw hat with a pink ribbon on it plopped haphazardly on top of her head. Jieun’s the one who spots him first, smacking Jaemin squarely on the nose to get his attention and screeching, “Jeno!”

Jaemin looks like he’s caught between berating Jieun for screaming in his ear and saying hi to Jeno, and he settles for something in between, telling Jieun rather meanly, “Jeno’s going home because you’re too loud and he doesn’t like loud kids.”

“That’s not true, I like Jieun a lot,” Jeno interjects before Jieun starts to cry. She’s about halfway there already, her lower lip wobbling, and Jaemin only rolls his eyes before he grabs her and swings her down from his shoulders, plopping her down on the ground. She runs to Jeno almost immediately, and Jaemin makes a face.

“Has she already forgotten who her dad is?” Jaemin asks into the air as Jieun takes one of Jeno’s hands, tugging him forward.

“Go, daddy, go,” Jieun says, patting her dad’s butt like she can make him move with just her small hand, and Jaemin only turns to give her an offended look.

“My god, someone’s bossy today.”

They make their way to the ticket counter, and Jaemin steps forward to pay. There’s the skeleton of a T-rex right in front, and Jieun stares at it for a good few minutes, her lip trembling again, before Jeno manages to convince her that no, it’s not going to come to life and eat her.

Thankfully, she gets distracted easily, and Jeno manages to get her to start flipping through the map to point out which exhibits she wants to see first. Jeno’s too preoccupied with keeping Jieun from taking a copy of the visitor guide in every language available, even the ones in the languages she doesn’t know, that he doesn’t notice Jaemin getting him a ticket until Jaemin is holding it in front of his face.

“If you try to pay me back for it,” Jaemin says as Jeno opens his mouth to say _I’ll pay you back_ , “I’m going to just start direct depositing into your bank account. Can’t you just consider this payment for dealing with Jieun even when I’m here?”

“I can’t just take your money—”

“Jeno,” Jieun whines, tugging at the hem of Jeno’s sweater, “I accidentally dropped all the papers. Help me.”

Jeno looks down at Jieun, at where the entire stack of visitor pamphlets is now strewn across the floor, and he forces a smile when he looks back at Jaemin. There’s a smug smile flitting over Jaemin’s face, and Jeno concedes defeat.

“Alright, you know what? I’ll take the ticket. And while we’re here, I won’t say no to lunch as well.” Jeno kneels down on the ground to start gathering the pamphlets and putting them back in order. “Jieun, stop stepping on them, you’ll get them dirty. Can you sit at the edge, where there aren’t any papers? We’ll go in once we’re done picking them up.”

“Sounds good to me,” Jaemin murmurs as he bends down to help Jeno separate the guides by language, and Jeno can almost swear that the way Jaemin’s knuckles keep brushing against his isn’t unintentional at all.

 

 

 

They barely manage to get through the first floor of the museum, since Jieun gets distracted by the displays in the planetarium and spends about ten minutes staring at a model of the solar system, the planets revolving around the sun in neverending ellipses. And _then_ they go to the indoor rainforest, and Jieun gets distracted _again_ by all of the animals there, and she refuses to leave until she manages to find all of the species listed on the visitor pamphlet.

After they search high and low for over two hundred species of birds and butterflies and a hundred species of lizards and frogs, Jieun finally relents on her demands when her stomach starts rumbling loud enough to rival the sound of the artificial waterfall built into the exhibit.

“Daddy, feed me, I’m hungry,” Jieun whines, and Jaemin mouths _I told you so_ over her head at Jeno, who rolls his eyes. After all, it was Jaemin who bet that Jieun would get tired after only an hour of walking, and it was Jeno’s misplaced trust in Jieun’s scientific curiosities that made him say “Please, she can last longer than _that_.”

They make their way to the café, where Jieun has to be propped up in a high chair for her to even be able to see the top of the table, and true to his word, Jaemin ends up paying for lunch, too. Jieun starts coloring in the visitor pamphlet with a complimentary box of crayons as she waits, while Jaemin does nothing but provide unnecessary commentary.

“Ouch, looks like you went out of the lines,” Jaemin says drolly, and in response, Jieun drags the blue crayon across the entire length of the pamphlet and going out of the lines by a wide margin. “ _Wow._ That’s cold-blooded of you, Jieun.”

“I’m like a lizard!” Jieun says, and Jeno high fives her.

“What a smart girl,” he coos, reaching over to pat Jieun on the head, and Jieun beams up at him, and Jaemin wrinkles his nose in disgust at how cutesy they’re being right before their order’s called up.

He brings the tray of their food back to the table, setting Jieun’s dinosaur chicken nuggets in front of her before he puts Jeno’s sandwich and his own salad (“I’m trying to eat healthier now,” Jaemin said as he was ordering, “and the first step is with a grilled chicken salad.”) down. Jaemin shovels some of his salad onto Jieun’s plate and steals some of her nuggets, holding his bowl way above her head when she tries to reach for her lost nuggets.

“So,” Jaemin says around a mouthful of leaves, ignoring Jieun’s hissed “No eating with your mouth full, daddy!” before he only shovels more food into his mouth. He chews, swallows. “What do you think?”

Jeno blinks, the sandwich halfway to his mouth. “About?”

Jaemin cuts a glance at Jieun, sitting in her high chair in the middle of them and using a dinosaur tipped in ketchup to draw flowers on the plate. She contemplates the dinosaur’s ketchup-coated existence for a brief second before she bites off its head. Jeno and Jaemin both wince at the same time before Jaemin responds. “The fun-sized menace.”

“Starting to develop homicidal tendencies, but she’s fine. Super cute. Plus, she thinks I’m cool, which is a lot more than I can say about a lot of the other kids I’ve worked with in the past.” Jeno pops the soda can open, pouring it slowly into the glass of ice. He offers it to Jieun, who takes it and with Jaemin’s help, manages not to spill any on herself while drinking. “Very nice. Very dextrous. Doesn’t spill soda on herself while drinking. I can start training her to be my medical assistant in, oh, three years?”

“They’re taking six-year-olds’ applications for med school now? About time she got a job, anyway.” Jaemin prods Jieun with a finger, who glares at him over the decapitated body of another dinosaur. “Hey, didn’t you say you wanted to be like Jeno?”

Jieun drops the nugget, her eyes shining as she turns towards Jeno. “I wanna be a Jeno! Daddy told me you get to save people at work! That’s _so_ cool!”

“Well, I’m not working yet, but I will soon. You wanna do that too, Jieun?” Jieun nods furiously, and Jeno points to the untouched pile of salad on her plate. “Then you’re gonna need to eat a lot and grow big and strong before you can even start learning how to save people.” He nudges the side of the plate with all of the greens closer to her, and she stares at the cherry tomato before she sighs and pierces it with a fork. “Good job, Jieun! Your first step on the way to saving people!”

Jeno catches Jaemin’s gaze when Jieun makes quick work of the rest of the salad, and Jaemin gives him a thumbs up and an overly exaggerated wink. Once they’re done, Jaemin takes Jieun to use the washroom before they head back into the museum, and one of the workers at the café stops by to help Jeno clean up the table.

“You have a beautiful family,” she says, sweeping Jieun’s piece of ketchup modern art into a bin. “Your daughter is really cute.”

Jeno’s heart leaps, and all he can manage to say in his near-catatonic state is a quick and hurried “Thank you” before he practically runs off to wait outside the washroom for Jaemin and Jieun. Jaemin’s wiping her hands when they come out, and Jieun pulls one of her hands away from Jaemin’s grasp to reach for Jeno’s.

“Jeno! Hold my hand, too!” She shouts, and Jaemin shushes her, reminding her to use her inside voice, and she pouts. Jeno takes her hand anyway, fingers curling around Jieun’s.

Jieun starts leading the way to the planetarium, one hand clasped tightly in Jeno’s and the other in Jaemin’s, and Jeno thinks that maybe the girl wasn’t too far off after all.

 

 

 

 **To: Jaemin Na  
** **From: Jeno Lee**  
Hey, thanks for today, it was really fun

 

 **To: Jeno Lee  
** **From: Jaemin Na**  
You should’ve stayed to get dinner with us!!

 

 **To: Jaemin Na  
** **From: Jeno Lee**  
Ahh I wish!! But I’m actually meeting up w a friend from med school  
Renjun Huang? Idk if you know him

 

 **To: Jeno Lee  
** **From: Jaemin Na**  
Hmm I’m not sure.. 

 

 **To: Jaemin Na  
** **From: Jeno Lee**  
Have fun with Jieun tonight.. At least she’s super pooped out  
She was fast asleep during the way home lol

 

 **To: Jeno Lee  
** **From: Jaemin Na**  
Small mercies lol hopefully she stays asleep  
But Mark and Donghyuck are coming over for dinner pray for me

 

 **To: Jaemin Na  
** **From: Jeno Lee**  
RIP

 

 **To: Jeno Lee  
** **From: Jaemin Na**  
THAT IS NOT HELPFUL

 

 

 

“Help,” Jeno says to Renjun over dinner. “I think I like Jaemin and I think he likes me too.”

“My god, I literally told you this _weeks_ ago, but do you ever listen to me? No.”

Jeno drops his face into his hands. “He has a daughter, and Jieun is so cute. I don’t want to make things awkward, you know? What if he doesn’t like me and I’m just, I dunno, _projecting_ or some shit? I still want to see Jieun.”

“God, you are so _stupid_ , I hope you never get your license,” Renjun groans, and he taps out of the conversation, burying himself in adding more food into their hot pot and leaving Jeno to deal with his boyfriend, who’s staring expectantly at him over their plates of meat and vegetables.

Lucas isn’t a bad guy, but he’s just so _happy_ all the time, like a particularly large golden retriever who won’t stop wanting to play fetch, and every time Jeno sees his arms, he immediately wants to stop going to the gym because he could literally never match up, not even in ten years. Alright, so maybe all of Jeno’s Lucas-related issues are internal, but whatever.

“If he has a daughter and you like him and you like his daughter, why don’t you just ask him out?” Lucas asks, and Jeno resists the urge to laugh in his face. He’s so earnest, so hopeful, so _nice_.

“It’s because Jeno is stupid. He probably sucked someone’s dick to get into medical school, and that’s why he can’t tell when someone’s obviously trying to fuck him. Come on, Jeno. I would never pay for you to go to a museum with me, and I literally suffered through four years of hell with you.”

“Hey, untrue,” Jeno says, even though it’s at least twenty-five percent true. He _did_ exchange sexual favors for help on ochem labs and the final, and he _did_ end up with one of the highest grades in the entire class, so damn if it wasn’t worth it. “I’m totally smart.”

“Then you should man the fuck up and ask him out,” Renjun hisses.

“I agree,” Lucas says, toppling a plate full of fish balls into the spicy side of the hot pot, which only earns an almost-shriek from his boyfriend. “Oops, sorry, babe.”

“Lucas Xuxi Huang, I will fucking,” and Renjun lowers his voice to a near-whisper as he leans in to talk almost directly into Lucas’ ear, “murder you, so help me god.”

“That’s so funny. But you’re so short, though? How could you even reach me?” Lucas laughs, and Jeno can already start hearing the police sirens. Renjun’s grip on his chopsticks is tight and white-knuckled, and Jeno thinks about that one time in anatomy lab when Renjun— okay, never mind, moving on.

“Guys,” Jeno says, desperate to turn this situation into one that isn’t about to lead to a first-degree homicide charge. “Focus. On me. Not the hot pot.”

“Just ask him out already,” Lucas says cheerfully, blissfully unaware of the danger brewing right next to him. “It worked for me.”

“Dumbshit,” Renjun says almost affectionately, the murderous aura around him dissipating almost immediately at the reminder of their first real meeting. “You didn’t even ask me out, you waited until Jeno decided it’d be a good idea to lock two people who didn’t even know each other in a room and refuse to let them out until they kissed.”

“I thought you were so cute from afar whenever you and your friends had those cute study sessions in the library, how was I supposed to know you’d actually like me back?”

They share A Heartfelt Look, and Jeno wants to gag. “So, moral of the story is, just do whatever dumb shit comes into my brain and hope it works?”

“God,” Renjun moans, smacking a hand against his forehead. “That’s only what I’ve been _telling_ you. Now hurry the fuck up and help me finish the rest of the noodles before they get all soggy and gross. I’m not paying extra for new noodles.”

 

 

 

It becomes something like a nighttime ritual for Jaemin to call Jeno before he goes to sleep. The first time was when Jaemin asked Jeno to go to the museum with him, but after that, they’re about everything and nothing at all.

“How was dinner with Renjun?” Jaemin asks the night of the museum outing, and Jeno has to bite his lip to keep himself from saying something embarrassing, like _hey, I really really really like you, do you wanna go on a date with me sometime?_

“It was fine,” Jeno says, and promptly changes the subject to something safer. Something non-intrusive. “Tell me about how Mark and Donghyuck met, I don’t think I remember.”

Jaemin laughs, a warm sound, says, “God, I can’t believe anyone wants to hear about that, it was _so_ dumb,” and promptly launches into a monologue about how Mark and Donghyuck met in some Canadian primary school when Donghyuck had just moved over with his parents and made a promise to get married if they weren’t married by twenty-five and then ended up finding each other again at the firm Mark was a civil engineer at when Donghyuck was newly hired as an architect. The rest, as they said in their wedding vows two years later, was history.

“That was kind of cute,” Jeno admits, and Jaemin sighs.

“Another victim to love, I see. So sad to see you go, stolen away by Valentine’s Day and overpriced wedding ceremonies.”

“It was a cute wedding,” Jeno protests. “They even did drunken noraebang!”

“Okay, fine,” Jaemin huffs. “Well, I wasn’t there for that.”

“Why?”

“Uh, it was getting kind of late, and I brought Jieun with me, so… She got super cranky right before the dances and stuff, so I left right after they cut the cake.”

Jeno thinks hard, back to that day, and a sudden image of a flower girl dressed in pink flashes across his memory. “Jieun was a flower girl there, wasn’t she? I think I remember her.”

“Yeah, she was. I can’t believe you remember that even though you hadn’t even met her at the time.” The sound of rustling. “Well, Jeno, some people have work tomorrow. I gotta go.”

“Some people have to rest all day to take care of certain other people’s hellspawn,” Jeno retorts. “Alrighty then. Get your beauty sleep in, god knows you need it.”

“Hey! You need more than me.” Jeno notes that Jaemin’s voice goes high and whiny when he’s upset, but then it softens. “Goodnight, Jeno.”

“Goodnight, Jaemin.”

 

 

 

Everything becomes routine after that.

Jeno spends his days catching up with sleep and reviewing how to take patient histories, and when daycare lets out at two, he buses over to pick Jieun up and take her home. Jaemin comes home four hours later, usually with dinner that he gets on his way back from work, and Jeno sits down to eat with them before he heads home.

There’s a weird tension between them whenever Jeno goes home after he’s eaten and played with Jieun a bit. On a Friday night, one where dinner was Italian and Jieun managed to make a Jackson Pollock painting out of pesto and margherita on the table, Jaemin walks Jeno to the door. Jieun’s still clinging to Jeno’s shoulders, her legs tucked against his stomach and her arms wrapped tight around his neck even while she’s asleep, and Jeno somehow manages to disentangle her limbs and pass her over to Jaemin.

“Hey, thanks for tonight. The pasta and lasagna were good.”

“I’m glad you thought so, I really liked this place.” Jaemin shifts Jieun in his arms, and he leans forward. Jeno freezes, standing stock still, and all he can see is the way that the light in the lobby illuminates Jaemin’s eyes and hair.

 _This is it_ , Jeno thinks, and he takes half a step forward, his hands stuttering in the air between them, not knowing what to do. _Finally._

Then Jieun stirs, and Jaemin jerks backwards like he’s been burnt. The moment is over, and Jaemin says his quick goodnights, and Jeno takes the bus home feeling like he’s been robbed of something special.

 

 

 

 **To: Jeno Lee  
** **From: Mark Lee**  
Good luck!!  
Wait  
Uh  
Omg  
You didn’t see anything

 

 **To: Mark Lee  
** **From: Jeno Lee**  
???  
What???

 

 **To: Jeno Lee  
** **From: Mark Lee**  
Don’t worry about it haha  
Seriously  
Don’t think about it  
Please

 

 **To: Mark Lee  
** **From: Jeno Lee**  
You are literally the most suspicious person ever lol  
Fine smh

 

 

 

Jaemin invites Jeno to go on a hike with him and Jieun the next morning, asking Jeno to leave his schedule free for the entire day, and Jeno does it without much fuss. He’s spent whole days with the two of them before, anyway.

This time, there’s a strange undercurrent to all of their interactions that has Jeno second guessing everything he’s ever done while in Jaemin’s presence, like when Jaemin offers Jeno water and his fingers linger for a second too long on Jeno’s.

What makes matters worse is that Jeno only ever really sees Jaemin in button-ups because he’s either coming from work or dressing up to go somewhere nice. Jaemin’s dressed down today, pulling off the messy yet put-together look so well, and Jeno hates this so much. He can’t stop his eyes from wandering to Jaemin, so he distracts himself with Jieun, tying the laces of her tiny boots up and slathering more sunscreen on her face than she knows what to do with, and he doesn’t even want to look up— he knows Jaemin’s watching. He can feel the weight of Jaemin’s gaze on him.

“Let’s go,” Jeno says, taking Jieun’s hand and keeping her on the inside of the trail as they start up the cliffs, and he can hear a soft snort behind him. Jaemin’s carrying all of Jieun’s things, as well as extra water bottles and granola bars for the way up, and Jeno would normally offer to help, but Jieun’s already told him in no uncertain terms that she will be telling him to pick her up when she gets tired.

Just like in the museum, Jieun gets tired halfway through, and she hops up on Jeno’s back so he can piggyback her up the trail.

“Now we’re even,” Jaemin says, motioning to the backpack he’s shouldering, and Jeno gives him a dirty look.

“Dude, you can’t even compare Jieun and the backpack,” Jeno hisses, bouncing to get Jieun higher up his back so she won’t fall or anything, and Jaemin’s smirk is downright nasty. “Don’t say it.”

“Are you calling my daughter,” Jaemin starts, and he mouths the last word, “heavy?”

“I’ll kill you,” Jeno mouths back.

“I’d like to see you try,” Jaemin says out loud, and he reaches forward so he can tug Jeno closer to him to let another pair of hikers go past.

“We are literally on a cliffside right now. There are so many unsolved mysteries like this, I saw them online. Don’t mess with me, man. I have the power of true crime documentaries and your daughter on my side.”

“What help is a three-year-old going to be?”

“Distractions, obviously. Also, if I ever run out of money, I’m sure she and I could work up some kind of scam to part some handsome billionaires from their wallets.”

Jaemin laughs, and Jeno feels some of the tension in his chest dissipate. They spend the rest of the time talking about what new tv shows Jaemin’s been watching and the musicians Jeno’s been listening to lately, and they’re down from the trail before they know it. Jaemin’s the one to suggest dinner at his place, followed up with a loud suggestion from Jieun to do a Disney movie marathon afterwards, who absolutely won’t stop chanting “TANGLED TANGLED TANGLED” on their way to the bus stop.

“Five bucks the Disney movie marathon’s just gonna be Tangled until she falls asleep,” Jaemin tells Jeno as he boards the bus, and Jeno snorts, helping Jieun up the steps.

“Why would I take that bet? I’m obviously going to lose.” Jeno taps onto the bus, and he picks Jieun up so he can maneuver through the crowded bus. There’s just one seat left in the back, and Jeno motions for Jaemin to take it, since he’s closer and someone else is probably going to snag it if Jaemin doesn’t. He does so uneasily, and Jeno shifts Jieun so he can carry her with one arm and hold onto the handrail.

“You should switch with me, you’re holding Jieun,” Jaemin says, taking off his backpack and tucking it between his legs.

“That’s fine, you had to hold all of the water bottles and stuff today. You should sit. I’ve been skipping arm day, anyway,” Jeno says, and he bounces Jieun against his hip a few times to emphasize his point— which, yeah, he definitely needs to stop skipping arm day.

“But,” Jaemin starts to protest, but then he snaps his mouth closed. A wicked grin curls across his face, and Jieun stares at him.

“Daddy, you’re so weird,” she complains, grabbing a fistful of Jeno’s hair and burying her face in Jeno’s shoulder, which means Jeno is the only one who sees the way that Jaemin raises both of his eyebrows suggestively and pats his lap.

 _No_.

Jeno’s sure that the only emotion on his face right now is unbridled horror, judging from the way Jaemin’s smile only widens.

“Come here,” Jaemin mouths, his eyes fixed on Jeno’s. He taps his thighs again, giving them a good smack like Jeno hasn’t properly absorbed the message the first time, and Jeno almost physically recoils.

“We’re in public,” Jeno hisses, and Jaemin rolls his eyes, starting to tap out a beat on his thighs.

Jeno’s ashamed to say that he’s momentarily distracted at that, and it’s a good thing he has a firm grip on the handrail because the bus jerks to an abrupt stop at the red light. Still, Jeno stumbles backward, bumping into some of the passengers behind him, and Jaemin’s lunging forward out of his seat, grabbing Jeno’s shirt and yanking him forward. Jieun’s clutching onto Jeno tightly, her hair tickling his nose, and he pats her back. It’s a good thing that she’s safe.

“Jeno,” Jieun whines, and Jaemin settles back into his seat, still looking unsettled.

“Sorry,” Jeno murmurs into her hair, and then he makes eye contact with Jaemin and says, again, “Sorry.”

“You know, if you had just come over and sat here, maybe that wouldn’t have happened,” Jaemin says instead, easily, flippantly, and Jeno flushes.

“Shut up,” Jeno says, and he makes a show of turning his back to Jaemin, gently shaking Jieun and pointing out the window when she makes a small noise of confusion. “Look, it’s the bridge!”

“Nice ass,” Jaemin says under his breath, and Jeno sighs.

There’s no winning with him.

 

 

 

When they get home, Jaemin shrugs off his backpack and leaves it by the door, while Jieun immediately beelines for the couch, faceplanting gracefully onto a cushion, and she falls asleep in an instant. Jeno laughs, making his way to the kitchen where Jaemin is rooting through the fridge.

“Dude, your kid just passed out on the couch.”

“She doesn’t even have anything to be tired about, you were carrying her for practically the entire day. You’re the one who needs an afternoon nap,” Jaemin says absently, placing a half-full carton of orange juice on the ground as he searches. “Jesus, where the fuck did I put the marinated rib eye?”

Jeno ducks next to him, their shoulders brushing as he reaches into the fridge, pushing a bag of greens to the side. “Maybe here?”

Jaemin reaches behind the greens and pulls out a tub of meat marinating in some sauce. “Nice. Thanks, Jeno. Could you grab the greens for me and put the rest of the stuff I took out back in? I’ll start prepping for dinner. Steak and roasted potatoes sound okay to you?”

“Uh, ‘does that sound okay?’ I’m practically already drooling, thanks a lot,” Jeno quips as he puts the discarded groceries back into the fridge. “You need me to help do anything?”

“You can help by watching Jieun and making sure she doesn’t get into trouble.”

“She’s _asleep_!”

“Jieun’s the worst when she’s asleep,” Jaemin says sagely, and Jeno narrows his eyes at him.

“Why do I get the feeling you’re trying to keep me away from the kitchen?”

Jaemin looks shiftily away. “I’m doing no such thing. I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Let me help,” Jeno says, and he grabs the bag of baby potatoes. “Please, if I have to watch Jieun sleep for an hour, I might actually explode.”

“Fine,” Jaemin relents. “But remember to cut them into quarters, halves are too big for Jieun to eat.”

“Got it, chief,” Jeno makes a show of saluting Jaemin, who only snorts.

“Well, if you end up slicing your finger open, I’m sure you can deal with that on your own, future doctor and all.”

“You know it,” Jeno says, preening. “Saved myself from accidentally losing a finger once, so this is no big deal.”

Jeno turns to pilfer a cutting board from the drying rack, and he can hear Jaemin’s muttered, “God help me.” Jeno’s first quartered potatoes end up looking like crap mostly because he’s laughing too hard. He hopes Jaemin won’t mind too much.

 

 

 

The kitchen smells like heaven once they’re done with everything, the steak and potatoes and salad sitting on the table, and Jaemin checks the rice he made earlier, scooping some up to check its consistency. “Looks good,” he hums before getting a bowl for Jieun, who’s just been showered and changed.

Jeno cuts up the steak for her, making bite-sized pieces out of his and Jaemin’s portions before he puts some of the potatoes and salad into her bowl, too. “Remember, only girls who eat their veggies get to save lives,” Jeno says, poking her on the nose, and she wrinkles her entire face up at him.

“Your face is going to freeze like that, and you’ll never meet your prince,” Jaemin says seriously, coming over with two more bowls of rice.

“I,” Jieun starts with her mouth full of food before whatever she meant to say dissolves into unintelligible noises, and Jeno taps her chin.

“Hey, finish chewing before you wanna talk.”

Jieun chews and gulps the entire mouthful down before she gives her father a narrow-eyed stare. “I hate you, daddy, you should be nicer like Jeno.”

“Jeno isn’t very nice at all,” Jaemin says into his potatoes. “He’s a big old mean grumpy poophead.”

“Jeno says you’re not allowed to say bad words!”

“What bad words did I even say?”

It looks like it’s taking Jieun all of her effort to spit it out, and when she does, it’s with a voice so loud that Jeno can barely believe it came from her. “Poophead!”

“Oh my god,” Jaemin says, looking over at Jeno. “What are you teaching her?”

Jeno shrugs. “Jieun and I have secrets. You’ll never find out.”

Jaemin digs back into his food. “Whatever, I don’t care,” he says, clearly caring. “Keep your secrets.”

 

 

 

Jaemin’s still huffy when they settle on the couch for Jieun’s Disney-slash-Tangled marathon, Jieun in between the two of them with a bowl of strawberries. Jeno’s already watched this with Jieun twice, and as the opening scene starts to play, he leans down to poke Jieun in the tummy. “Hey, Jieun. How many times did you say you’ve watched Tangled again?”

Jieun counts on her fingers, and when she finally comes up with an answer, it’s with five chubby fingers. “Five,” she says proudly.

“So once we finish watching this, how many times will you have watched Tangled?”

Jieun holds up another chubby finger, and Jeno resists the urge to pinch her cheeks. “Six!”

“Good girl,” Jeno says, patting her downy head, and Jaemin watches them from the other side of Jieun. His eyebrows are furrowed and the corners of his mouth are pulled down in a pout, and if Jeno didn’t know any better, he’d think Jaemin were genuinely upset. “What’s wrong?”

Jaemin’s pout only gets deeper. “You two are being too cute without me,” he whines in this absurdly high-pitched voice, and he curls his hands up into claws and lunges for Jieun. “No fair, I want in! Daddy’s gonna get you, Jieun!”

Jieun screams, clambering into Jeno’s lap and holding onto him for dear life, and Jeno wraps his arms around her and says in the firmest tone he can muster, “Get back, foul villain!”

“Oh, are we roleplaying now, Jeno? Is that it?” Jaemin’s voice dips dangerously low, a far cry from the high-pitched menace he’d been just earlier. “Do you want me to be… bad?”

 _Holy shit, what the fuck?_ is the only thing running through Jeno’s brain, but thankfully, Jieun steps in when Jeno’s neurons have collectively all decided to stop firing.

“Daddy, you’re very bad! You’re— you’re Mother Gothel!” Jieun shouts, and Jeno’s certain that the indignant gasp Jaemin lets out is anything but fake.

“I am _not_ Mother Gothel! I’m your real daddy, Jieun, I gave you that cute fluffy hair of yours! I’m Flynn Rider!”

“No!” Jieun’s shriek is earsplitting. “ _Jeno’s_ Flynn Rider!”

A deafening silence falls over the living room. Jeno gulps, staring straight ahead at the screen where Mother Gothel is combing Rapunzel’s hair, and he can make out, from the corner of his peripheral vision, Jaemin slowly lifting his head to stare at Jieun on Jeno’s lap.

“What about me, Jieun? Isn’t daddy as dashing and as handsome as Flynn Rider?”

Jieun squirms, uncomfortable under Jaemin’s scrutiny. “Fine, daddy can also be Flynn Rider.”

“Guys, we’re missing the movie,” Jeno pleads, and Jaemin only grunts in acknowledgement before scooting closer on the couch. Jieun’s made herself comfortable on Jeno’s lap, which means that there’s nothing and no one to create space in between him and Jaemin anymore.

Jeno’s shoulders and thighs are pressed firmly against Jaemin’s, and if Jeno notices the way Jaemin oh-so-casually loops an arm around the back of the couch, he doesn’t say anything.

And if Jaemin notices the way Jeno leans into Jaemin’s side, subtly, quietly, but there, he doesn’t say anything either.

 

 

 

Jieun falls asleep halfway through the second showing of Tangled, her legs sprawled across Jaemin’s lap and her face smushed into Jeno’s chest. Truth be told, Jeno stopped watching a long time ago, back when Jaemin got up to get himself a drink and came back with two beers. Jieun had already started to drift off at that point, nodding away even before Jaemin took his arm from around Jeno’s shoulders to go to the fridge.

There’s a pleasant buzz in Jeno’s head, and Jaemin looks over at him when he notices that Jieun’s stopped snuffling, setting the can of Cass down onto the side table. “You alright there?”

Jeno wonders if he’s talking about the toddler drooling on his shirt or the beer he’s already downed. “I’m good.”

“I’ll just put her to bed, she looked way too comfortable on you.” Jaemin stares at them for just a few seconds more before he stands and leans forward, picking Jieun up and cradling her against his chest. There’s an unspoken invitation when Jaemin keeps standing there like he’s waiting for something, and Jeno wordlessly reaches for the remote and turns off the television.

Jieun’s room is the same as Jeno remembers it being a month ago, when she first dragged him in by the arm during her house tour. He stands in the doorway, watching as Jaemin puts her to bed, tucking a stuffed hamster under her arm before dragging the blanket over her. Jaemin leans down, brushing her bangs away and kissing her on the forehead.

Jaemin’s voice is quiet when he finally speaks up, hand smoothing Jieun’s hair back down.

“Jieun was an accident, you know.”

Jeno freezes, his heart stuttering. He doesn’t know what to say, but he knows he doesn’t need to. Jaemin keeps going.

“My girlfriend from college and I— we broke up after graduation. We were still friends, but she called me a few months later to say that she was pregnant. I told her whatever she decided to do, I’d support her.” Jaemin picks at a loose thread on Jieun’s blanket, staring down at her. “She had just started law school halfway across the country, but she decided to keep it. And then she gave Jieun to me. Said I could love her enough for the both of us.” He lifts his head up to stare up at Jeno. “I’ve never been more thankful to anyone in my entire life. She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

“I’m glad. She loves you a lot, you know. Mother Gothel and all,” Jeno says, soft.

Jaemin huffs out a laugh. “Yeah, well. I _used_ to be Flynn Rider. And then you showed up. Mark gave me your number, actually. Kept telling me that I needed to start dating again, and he only had nice things to say about you. Donghyuck said it was my own damn fault for not making a marriage pact with anyone when I was in elementary school, but he was the one who suggested I ask you to be my babysitter.”

Jeno takes a step forward on unsteady legs, then two, until he’s right in front of Jaemin. “And?”

“I’ll be honest, I didn’t have a lot of hope at the beginning. I mean, I went on casual dates and stuff before, but they never worked out. Our personalities didn’t match or they didn’t want to be with a guy with a kid. I mean, I get it. The first time you came over to watch Jieun was just to test you out, to see how you’d be, and I asked Jieun about you, how you were. She said she liked you a lot. So I kept asking you to come over.”

Jaemin reaches for Jeno’s hand, rubbing a thumb over Jeno’s knuckles, and when he looks up into Jeno’s eyes, Jeno can’t breathe. “And you know what? I ended up liking you a lot, too.”

“Can I kiss you?” Jeno whispers. Jaemin’s eyelashes cast long shadows over his cheekbones in the dim glow of Jieun’s night light. He nods, and Jeno puts a hand on Jaemin’s thigh and leans in.

Jaemin’s lips are soft and pliant, and he tastes like beer and strawberries. Jaemin cups Jeno’s jaw with his free hand, holding him close, and he sighs into the kiss. Jeno is the first to pull away, and he knocks his forehead against Jaemin’s and closes his eyes, content just to breathe in Jaemin’s cologne.

“Let me just,” Jeno starts, remembering something he’s been meaning to do, and he goes over to where Jieun is asleep. He bends down so he can kiss her on the nose, and he leans in close to her and whispers into her ear, “I like you, too, Jieun. I’ll take good care of you from now on.”

 

 

 

There’s a shit-eating grin on Jaemin’s face when Jeno pushes him back against the bed, climbing into his lap. “So, someone’s not willing to sit on my lap in a crowded bus but when there’s _all_ of this extra space on the bed, it’s suddenly the only place he wants to sit on? Can someone who knows science explain to me how that works?”

“Shut up,” Jeno mumbles, cupping Jaemin’s face and kissing him again. Jaemin’s lips part easily under his, and Jeno takes his time exploring Jaemin’s mouth. Jaemin’s hands are on Jeno’s ass, and when Jeno sucks on Jaemin’s tongue, Jaemin takes the opportunity to slip a hand up Jeno’s shirt, his hands roving over Jeno’s skin. It’s easy enough for Jaemin to get Jeno’s shirt off, tugging it over his head when they break apart, and Jeno pulls at Jaemin’s so he can toss it on the other side of the bed.

“I haven’t done this in a while,” Jaemin says shakily as Jeno unbuttons Jaemin’s pants and pushes at him to lie back so Jeno can pull them off and leave them on the ground with his own. “Uh, it’s been a _really_ long time, I just wanna let you know. Just in case.”

“That’s alright,” Jeno says, clambering over Jaemin and dipping down to kiss the corner of Jaemin’s mouth. He’s always found them pretty, but they’re even prettier like this, when Jaemin’s lips are parted and wet with spit. “I’m going to suck you off. Do you have…?”

Jaemin twists under Jeno so he can reach for the nightstand and pull out a condom and a packet of lube. He hands Jeno the condom, leaving the lube by his side, and Jeno smiles down at Jaemin.

“I have a fun party trick to show you,” Jeno announces before he rips the packet open with his teeth, unrolling the condom before he sticks it into his mouth. He scoots down the length of Jaemin’s body, and he tugs Jaemin’s boxers down so he can feel the weight of Jaemin’s cock. It’s a nice length and curved just slightly to the right, and Jeno wants it in his mouth already.

“Oh my _god_ ,” Jaemin chokes out, garbled, when Jeno gets the condom on with his lips, rolling the rest of it down with his hands. Jeno gives the head an experimental lick before he’s leaning in again, taking as much as he can into his mouth, and Jaemin reaches down to cup the back of Jeno’s head. Jeno hums in approval, and Jaemin takes the hint, fisting his hands into Jeno’s hair as Jeno bobs up and down. “Oh my _fucking_ god, Jeno.”

Jeno pulls off with a pop, crawling over Jaemin again so he can kiss him, messy and wet and open-mouthed, and he settles back onto Jaemin’s stomach as Jaemin gets the lube open, drizzling it onto his hand.

“Can I?”

“Go for it,” Jeno purrs, and he guides Jaemin’s fingers to his entrance. It’s not long before he’s sinking down onto Jaemin’s cock, exhaling as Jaemin bottoms out, and Jeno presses his hands against Jaemin’s chest to steady himself, feeling the way Jaemin’s heart is pounding against his fingertips. Jeno rolls his hips back against Jaemin’s, and Jaemin’s eyes are wide, his fingers scrabbling at Jeno’s thighs, and Jeno thinks that it would be so, so easy to fall in love with all of this.

So he reaches for Jaemin’s hands, lacing their fingers together, and hopes that he can convey to Jaemin what he feels in the way he’s moving, in these gentle touches, in how he looks tonight. And judging by Jaemin’s smile, warm and fond and everything in between, he understands.

 

 

 

“Hey,” Jaemin says finally, once they’ve showered and brushed and gotten back into bed, Jaemin tucking Jeno close against him. Jeno twists in Jaemin’s arms so he can see Jaemin more properly. The lights are off, but there’s enough moonlight streaming in that when he squints, he can make out the blurry features of Jaemin’s face.

“What?” Jeno grumbles, the hike from earlier and the three hours spent watching Tangled finally starting to take their toll on him.

Jaemin wraps his arms around Jeno’s middle, pressing a kiss to Jeno’s neck, then two, lower this time, chasing his pulse. Jeno shudders, and Jaemin nips at Jeno’s earlobe before he’s craning his head so he can whisper into Jeno’s ear, “After Jieun, you might just be the second best thing that’s happened to me.”

 

 

 

The morning is warm.

Jeno buries his face into the pillow, willing himself to go back to sleep for a few minutes more, when he feels someone stroke the curve of his hip before a hand dips lower, and Jeno’s eyes shoot open. That’s right— he spent the night with Jaemin.

“Good morning,” Jaemin mumbles against the back of Jeno’s neck, and there it is again: one of Jaemin’s hands is snaking past the waistband of his borrowed sweatpants, while the other is god-knows-where. Jaemin leans forward to hook his chin over Jeno’s shoulder. “You looked so cute, I didn’t want to wake you.”

Jaemin’s breath is minty, and Jeno is _horrified_. “You’re a morning person?” Jeno hisses, keeping his face stubbornly turned away from Jaemin’s so his morning breath won’t be the thing that drives them apart. “How can you be awake at this ungodly hour?”

“It’s nine,” Jaemin laughs, and Jeno rolls his eyes. “What’s your definition of a good time to wake up?”

“Noon,” Jeno says decisively, ignoring the hand that’s quite literally down his pants. “You’re literally so—”

“Daddy, I’m _hungry_! Make me food!” Jieun wails, slamming the door open, and Jaemin yanks his hand out faster than anything Jeno’s ever see him do in the entire time they’ve known each other. Jeno tugs the blanket over his bare chest, doing his best to sink below the covers.

“Yes, princess?” Jaemin asks, and Jeno can tell that he’s having difficulty keeping his voice level. “I’ll feed you in a bit, just wait, okay?”

“Okay,” she yawns, and she starts toddling towards the bed, her eyes still shut.

“What’s she doing?” Jeno hisses, and Jaemin hisses back, “She likes to cuddle in bed with me sometimes.”

Jieun makes it completely onto the bed before she blearily opens her eyes to come face to face with Jeno, who only pokes her on the nose before saying, sheepishly, “Hi, Jieun.”

Jieun’s eyes go wide, her hands flying to her mouth, and she barrels into Jeno’s waiting arms. “Jeno, you’re here!”

“Yeah, I asked Jeno to stay here last night,” Jaemin says, propping himself up so he can comb through Jieun’s hair with his fingers. “Do you want him to stay over more?”

“I like Jeno. Finally,” Jieun huffs, and Jaemin makes an exasperated noise. “Daddy, I’m _hungry_!”

“Feed me too,” Jeno says, rolling onto his back so he can smile up at Jaemin. “Please?”

“The two of you are the exact same,” Jaemin grumbles, slipping out of bed and scratching idly at his back. “Don’t spend too long in bed, otherwise I’ll just eat all of the breakfast and you’ll have to find your own food.”

“Whatever,” Jeno says to Jieun, who’s made herself comfortable on his chest. “If he eats it all and gets fat, we’ll just make him make more food for us.”

“Daddy will do anything if I ask him super nice,” Jieun confides, giggling, and there’s an annoyed yell from the kitchen.

“I heard that! And it’s not true anymore, since you called me Mother Gothel!”

It’s true, though. Jaemin’s head over heels for his daughter, and now, Jeno is too.

**Author's Note:**

> welcome to one of two parts of my #happyjenoday fics!! the other part is [showstopper](http://archiveofourown.org/works/18556453) so please check them out!! n__n ♡
> 
> i hope you loved jieun as much as i loved writing her.. truly the cutest girl in the world rt if you agree >__< also please check out some beautiful art for this by [silvia](https://twitter.com/yaori94/status/1129409691761557504) and [ines](https://twitter.com/oop_oops_/status/1160145463435255809) ;; 
> 
> please let me know what you thought by leaving a kudos or comment if you read this far~ i’m also on [twt](https://twitter.com/gaImaegi) or leave me a message on [cc](https://curiouscat.me/jenuyu) ♡ thanks for reading, and happy birthday jeno :D


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